Set Me Free
by DoctorMerlinReid
Summary: Merlin has been a slave practically forever. Then it all changed. He had been working for Lord Hawkthorne for almost a year when they were attacked on the high seas by none other than the dread pirate king, Arthur Pendragon. Arthur takes a particular interest in the young slave and destiny is set in motion. slave!Merlin and pirate!Arthur.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The inspiration for this just hit me and I was like, hey, might as well. So here you go! Slave!Merlin and Pirate!Arthur. Please read and review and enjoy!**

Merlin couldn't remember the last time he had been on a boat. He knew he'd been to sea before, he just couldn't remember much of it. This time, Lord Hawkthorne had decided that he was going to take a small portion of the family and staff on a vacation to some far off islands. It would last almost a year.

Merlin, for his part, was just happy to be out in the open air. Despite the fact that he worked most of the time and was so clumsy that people would hover over him as if afraid he would trip overboard (that's not saying he wouldn't; he just didn't appreciate the hovering), he still enjoyed it.

When his masters required that he wear chains, he often had to stay indoors _constantly_. He liked the indoors, he really did. It's just that there was only so much you could take. He had been Lord Hawkthorne's slave for almost a year now and this was the first time he was really let outside.

So he drifted around the boat, making friends among the sailors and helping out wherever he could. He would sleep on the deck at night, much to the amusement of the sailors. He just wanted to look at the stars for as long as possible. Merlin never knew if a night among the stars would be his last.

When the sailors would hear him say things like that, they would grow uncomfortable and shift around slightly, silent, until Merlin changed the topic. That was alright for him. It's all he ever remembered. People were never comfortable with topics of bad things because they didn't want it to affect their sunny little world.

"Merlin!" The Captain of the ship called down to him as he headed back to his quarters after his dog watch at the helm. Merlin lifted his head slightly and waved, his chains jingling. Merlin taught the Captain about some of the books he had read and the Captain taught him some more about sailing. It was something they had agreed to do behind the Lord's back because they enjoyed each other's company and they both wanted to learn.

They had just finished and the Captain was about to retire to bed when the person in the crow's nest called down, "Ship ahoy! It's flying pirate colors, sir!"

Merlin didn't know what happened for the next few hours. He was ushered down into his master's chambers to wait out the battle. He could hear cannons firing, people screaming, and the Captain shouting orders.

Three hours later, two men waltzed into the room as if they owned it, which, maybe they did. One of them looked like he could rival a mountain in size, with huge biceps, short blond hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing a fine tunic and trousers with gleaming chainmail (minus the arms) over it all. He carried a sword in his hand.

The other had long, scruffy brown hair and brown eyes. His eyes lit up in an easy smile and he was wearing much the same as the other man, but his chainmail had sleeves. Behind him walked in their leader. He had golden blond hair and bright blue eyes. His chainmail gleamed more than the others' and his sword was strapped firmly to his waist. All of his clothes were woven fit for a king.

Lord Hawkthorne stood up straighter and Merlin assumed he knew who these people were. He found out he was correct when Hawkthorne said, "So, it's the dread pirate _king_ Arthur Pendragon." He gave a mocking half bow, "To what do I owe the pleasure, _my lord_."

Merlin didn't know much of anything, but he did know that you probably were not supposed to mock a pirate. He was right again.

Percival stepped forward, grabbing the Lord by his arms and pushing him to his knees. The Lady Hawkthorne fell to her knees in silence, pulling her children in to do the same. Merlin watched from the shadows as Arthur slowly circled the man, dragging his sword across the carpet as he went.

He stopped by the Lord's children and wife and asked, "Are these yours?" Hawkthorne just glared and Arthur sighed in feigned sadness, "Well, that's a pity. If they were, we might have spared them, in respect to you, but if they aren't and they have no further use." He raised his sword above Hawkthorne's youngest and prepared to bring it down.

Merlin moved forward to help the child, but Hawkthorne beat him to it, answering quickly, "I'm sorry, they are mine. They're mine!"

Arthur smiled a shark smile and nodded his head to the long haired pirate. Merlin's eyes followed that one until Arthur spoke again, "You will answer me and answer me truthfully the first time I ask a question. I will not repeat myself. Is that understood?" Hawkthorne nodded dutifully when one of Merlin's chains was yanked unceremoniously and his foot was pulled from beneath him.

He gave a startled yelp and rolled over in time to see the long haired man pointing a sword at his throat. He swallowed uncomfortably and heard Arthur ask his master, "What is a chained man doing here? Why is he chained and why was he hiding?"

Hawkthorne squared his jaw and answered, "He is here because it is required of him. He is chained so he cannot escape and he wasn't hiding. You just couldn't see him." The Lord smirked at Arthur until the pirate king nodded to the pirate above Merlin.

With an apologetic look in his eyes, the pirate flipped his sword around and smashed the hilt of it into Merlin's stomach. The air fled from him in a gasp and his hands clenched, but he gave no other reaction.

Hawkthorne struggled to stand, but the big pirate kept him in place. Hawkthorne spoke, "Please, don't hurt him. I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that I wasn't answering your questions to the level you wished." Merlin knew that Hawkthorne was a kind master – he had proved it many times -, but this was beyond anything any master would do. Merlin stared, wide-eyed, as his master continued, "The boy's been hurt enough as it is. He is a slave. My slave. I bought him just under a year ago. I don't discipline my slaves that harshly and it's been a year since he's been beaten. Please don't hurt him."

Merlin could see the surprise coloring Arthur's eyes as he looked Merlin over again, but Merlin studiously ignored it, choosing to stay on the ground where the brown haired knight was less likely to accidently stab through his neck.

Arthur said, "Gwaine, help him up. Percival and I can handle these ones. Put him in the brig of our ship." Gwaine nodded at his king and pulled Merlin into a standing position. Before Merlin was even properly standing, Gwaine started pulling him towards the door. Both of them flew backwards when Merlin was pulled farther than where his chains could go.

He smiled sheepishly at Gwaine, his ears tinged pink. Gwaine just sighed, shook his head, and started hunting for a key. Hawkthorne, without anyone asking him to do so, pulled the key from around his neck, handing it to Arthur.

Arthur took them without comment, his eyes locked on Merlin. It was only then that Merlin realized that Arthur had _never stopped looking at him_. That was a tad bit disconcerting to say the least. It was also very weird. And starting to get awkward fast.

That's when Merlin realized that the pirates meant to take him. That meant that Arthur, being the king, was likely to be Merlin's new master. That also meant that he was staring his potential new master straight in the face like he was never supposed to do with anyone ever. He lowered his head and stared resolutely at the ground.

He saw Arthur's boots come into his field of vision and cringed back just the tiniest bit. Arthur spoke, "Why didn't you tell Gwaine that the chains were still attached to the wall?"

Merlin wasn't allowed to speak without permission from his master, so he kept quiet. Hawkthorne started to talk, "He-,"

He was cut off by Arthur who snarled, "I asked _him_, not you! He will answer!"

"He can't!" Hawkthorne exploded.

Arthur rounded on him, stomping away and circling the Lord, "What do you mean? Is his tongue cut out? Is he mute? What?"

Hawkthorne smiled at some private joke going on in his head and said, "Neither, he is not allowed to speak to a person unless I give him clear instructions saying he is allowed to. That is why he didn't tell your _thug_ that the chain was attached to the wall." Merlin could feel Gwaine bristle at being called a thug, but a look from his king calmed the man down.

"Well then," Arthur began in a sickly sweet voice, "You are going to give him _permission_ to speak to all of the pirates. Is that understood?" Hawkthorne squared his jaw and nodded resolutely.

Gwaine started walking towards Merlin with the intent of unlocking the chain attached from the wall. The moment he got near, however, Merlin cringed backwards and his breathing increased to the point where he was nearly hyperventilating.

Gwaine shared a look with Arthur, but before either of them could say anything, Hawkthorne found it within him to push Percival off of him and run to the slave's side. Merlin continued to gasp for breath, staring wide-eyed at the key in Gwaine's hand.

The Lord gently placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder, asking quietly, "Merlin, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Merlin shook his head frantically before visibly taking several deep breathes and answering, "The chain around my neck is enchanted so that if someone who is not the master or given instructions by the master tries to unlock them, they burn. It hurts worse than most anything and I didn't want to feel the pain master."

Merlin watched as the pirate king's face closed and his eyes hardened. "Sorcery." He growled. Merlin saw his master pale, but he didn't know why. What made this man hate sorcery so much?

Hawkthorne quickly muttered that Gwaine was allowed to remove the chains and Gwaine promptly did so. Merlin noted when his face creased with confusion and a frown marred his features. He figured that Gwaine had gotten to his neck cuff and realized that there wasn't a hole on that one. Once it was on, it was on forever. Any and all attempts to remove it would cause unimaginable pain and agony.

Gwaine called out to Arthur, "Hey Queenie, there's no key hole on his neck cuff!"

Arthur closed his eyes and looked genuinely annoyed at having his threats interrupted, but his look of annoyance quickly changed to anger. He demanded, "Why is there no key slot? How do you get it off?"

Hawkthorne licked his lips nervously and grasped his wife's hand. He answered shakily, "I don't honestly know. When I bought him-," Percival growled when he said this and he glanced up at the mountain of a man, terrified. He continued, "When I bought him, he already had the neck one on. They said it keeps him in check and makes sure he won't run away." There was a brief moment of silence and then the Lord added offhandedly, "I got him for a good price because he was considered so flighty. Evidently he attempted more escapes than the rest of the man's slaves combined."

Gwaine grit his teeth and looked like he was about to throttle the Lord, but another look from his king sent him sulking away with Merlin in tow.

Merlin, for his part, was confused. Why was everyone getting so worked up about his chains or his being bought and sold? Isn't that what a slave was? He allowed himself the brief moment of hope when he thought that maybe where they came from there weren't slaves, but he quashed that thought immediately. No use in being happy when it can't last.

With that thought, he was dragged out of his former master's ship and onto the pirate ship and, essentially, his new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This is the second chapter and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. By the way, unlike quite a few slave!Merlin fics, this one will NOT be slash. I do not write slash. So with only minor further ado, the story!**

**Disclaimer (aka minor further ado): I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin leaned his head back against the cell walls. This wasn't the first time he had been put in a cage, but it was the first time he had been put in prison. Gwaine had explained that it was for his own safety because the crew might not take well to someone from Hawkthorne's boat on their ship. Quite frankly, Merlin hadn't really listened. He had been examining his new room.

It was better than most of the rooms he had gotten over the years. He had a chamber pot that was bolted over a hole in the floor that turned into a tube that swept the waste into the water. All that meant to him was that his room wouldn't smell that bad. He had a bed that was no more than slab of wood with a blanket and a pillow. In the far corner, there was a small table where he could sit and write things if he so wished.

Food came twice a day and was made of crumbling bread and bony fish with a cup of mead on the side. For the first few days, Merlin refused the mead and Gwaine would just take it back without commenting. Then, when Gwaine realized that Merlin wasn't drinking _anything_, he started to bring Merlin small cups of water instead.

The young warlock broke off from his musings when the brig door opened up. He smiled slightly to himself when he saw it was Gwaine and Lancelot. The two guarded his cell during the day, the only break being when Gwaine left to get some food. Sometimes they would bring Percival down with them, but that had only happened twice in the week and a half he had been in the brig.

The shaggy-haired knight swiftly unlocked the door and put Merlin's food into it. The slave nodded gratefully at him and Gwaine smiled back. Lancelot sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him and Gwaine joined soon after.

"How you doing, mate?" Gwaine began. Merlin, who was too busy eating to properly answer, gave a thumbs up in reply. Gwaine just grinned and continued, "You'll never guess what happened today. So, the Queenie was doing his royal business and Leon went to his room. Leon was all like, 'Milord, I thought it proper to bring substance to you as you work too hard and must take breaks every once in a while. Will you accept the fruits of my scrupulous efforts?'"

Gwaine was like this constantly. On the one hand, Merlin loved it because the stories were hilarious, especially when Lancelot (who had insisted that Merlin call him Lance) interjected some truth into them. On the other hand, Merlin hated it because he wasn't allowed to laugh without his master's permission. And, truthfully, he didn't even know who his master was anymore.

He really hoped that King Arthur hadn't killed Lord Hawkthorne, but the way Arthur had acted when he said the word 'sorcery' and the fact that Hawkthorne had yet to claim him made him believe that the Lord was dead. Normally, Merlin wouldn't spare more than a minute mourning his past master, but Hawkthorne had been kind and decent and almost father-like. The man had even gone so far as to let Merlin eat at the table with the family! That in itself was something no other slave owner would even think about doing. It just wasn't right.

Merlin heard Lance start talking and briefly bemoaned to himself that he couldn't make friends with these people. He felt like if he knew what friends were, these people would be great ones. They probably didn't like him, though. He never smiled. He never laughed. He rarely added anything to the conversation and he never said something funny or complimentary.

The young boy shook those thoughts from his head and listened to the knight talk, "Really Gwaine? You're going to make Merlin think that Leon is some stuck up noble." Lance smiled at Merlin apologetically. Merlin stared back.

Gwaine raised his eyebrows at Lance, "And that's different from who he is, how?"

Lance smacked Gwaine upside the head with his gauntlet on and Merlin winced in sympathy. He had been hit by enough gauntlet-gloved hands to know that it hurt. Gwaine pouted at Lance for a moment before laughing uproariously, and amending, "Alright, I'll admit it. For a noble… okay, for anyone in general, Leon is a pretty great guy. But the point of my story was that Leon brought Arthur some food. He left the food on the table and went to go talk to all of us, who were on the training part of the deck for training in a half an hour. About a half an hour later, Arthur comes out, fuming.

"We have to assume that he ate the food because Leon had told us his plan while we were waiting. Luckily for Leon and unluckily for Arthur, the king had decided to wait until the last minute to eat his food. That meant that his hair changed to purple right as he was walking past the laundry room of the ship. With all of the laundry girls watching. That was how he found out his hair was purple actually. He'd never have noticed had the girls not started the laughing. Oh, the look on his face!" Gwaine finished.

Lancelot rolled his eyes, but was grinning nonetheless. That is, he was grinning until King Arthur Pendragon, head of the Pirate Clan Camelot, came waltzing down the stairs and into the brig, bringing many other knights with him. Merlin noted his lack of purple hair and figured that he must have found some way to wash it out.

Arthur stopped immediately in front of the cage, gesturing for Gwaine to unlock it again. The entire time, Merlin kept his gaze plastered to the floor, gracefully moving to stand and keeping his head bowed at the angle necessary for a master.

That's when Arthur started talking, "So, I'm going to start with a few questions and you are going to answer as honestly as you know how, understood?" Merlin nodded wordlessly. He could feel Lance and Gwaine staring at him in concern, knowing that even if he didn't talk or laugh much, he normally wasn't this submissive.

Arthur continued, "What is the name given to you at birth?"

Merlin replied, "I do not know master."

There was no answer for the longest time, but Merlin dared not raise his head to see what was going on. He heard Arthur's strangled gasp before the man asked, "What did you just call me?"

Confusion laced Merlin's voice as he answered, "I called you master. Do you wish to be called something else?"

Arthur took a deep breath and said, "I wish to be called Arthur by you. I am not your master and I hope to never be any souls' master."

Merlin tipped his head to the side, not an easy task with his neck bent at such an angle, "If I may ask, sir, who is my master then?" Normally he wouldn't speak with such audacity, but a year with Hawkthorne and the week and a half in the brig with Lance and Gwaine had loosened his tongue.

Merlin could practically feel Arthur's head lift imperiously and he declared, "You, Merlin, are now a free man!"

The young warlock's eyebrows drew together even though he knew no one could see them, "How?"

Arthur said, "I just freed you. I am the king of the pirates. I can free you if I wish."

All the color fled from Merlin's face as he gasped and said quickly, "But, but sir! I am bound by contract to my new master, whoever he or she may be. The only way a slave bound by the contract that binds me can be set free is if the original captor of said slave consents to his or her freedom. Anything else is considered null and void in the eyes of any and all members of the slave market and they have every right to forcibly take the slave into their own custody until death or until sold to another master or mistress." He sounded as if he were repeating the words straight from a book.

A tiny, "Oh," came from Arthur and Merlin felt rather than saw Arthur sag and lean against the cage bars. Arthur put his head in his hand and muttered, "So, I guess I'm your master now then, aren't I?"

"Yes sir." Merlin responded.

Arthur continued, "Well, I suppose that I better get to know you then. I think you should get to know all of us too. These are my knights and they will protect you as they would me. Oh, and by the way, please look at me when you speak. It's very distracting to have you looking at the ground all of the time."

Merlin turned his face upward and really looked at Arthur and the knights that had followed him down. He tilted his head to the side again and said, "You sound upset to hear that I am your slave. May I ask why?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows at him and asked, "Are you serious?" When Merlin's expression didn't change, he slumped and muttered, "Of course you're serious." Louder, he continued, "Where I come from, well, where I was raised, there aren't any slaves. Pirates do a lot of admittedly not so nice things, but they don't do human trafficking. Ever. I just find it sad that other people do. I don't think that people should be considered property and beaten and starved and practically tortured for no other reason than they were easy to catch."

Arthur finished his rant and Merlin just stared at him, uncomprehendingly. A world without slaves. How could one even envision that? Merlin couldn't ever see a world where he didn't see most of his village murdered by that brute Kanen. He couldn't see a world where he and his true love didn't flee for their lives from one of the not so nice masters Merlin had had. He couldn't see a world where they didn't run together and find his father, ending up fighting for their lives before Merlin was forced to watch as his master cut them down, claiming it was a lesson. It was the very next day when the neck cuff was forced on him and he felt himself start to wither away. Without magic, what was he?

Merlin was brought from his inner rant by Arthur starting to introduce the people gathered around them. He knew Gwaine, Lance, and Percival of course. The ones he didn't know were Leon, Elyan, and Mordred.

Then Arthur restarted asking questions, "So, what was your birth name again, I didn't hear it."

Merlin repeated, "I do not know."

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. They were all sitting on the ground in some semblance of a circle, Merlin not quite meeting anyone's eyes. Arthur asked, "How do you not know?"

The black haired boy shrugged his shoulders, "I was pretty young when I was captured. I remember that my first name was Merlin, but I don't remember a last name. I guess it probably didn't matter that much to me and so I didn't hear it as often. I just forgot."

"That sucks." Gwaine remarked loudly. Arthur turned to glare at Gwaine, but stopped mid-head swing and narrowed his eyes at Merlin, "Why didn't you laugh?" Elyan, next to Arthur, raised an eyebrow at him, attempting to convey how stupid a question that was.

Merlin answered, "I am not allowed to laugh or smile without express permission from my master to do so."

Arthur looked physically sick, but he said the words nonetheless, "You are allowed to smile and laugh as often or as loudly as you want. Also, you are allowed to talk to anyone, anywhere." Merlin grinned at him widely, making the knights sad that they couldn't see more of that grin.

Arthur shook his head and asked, "How do I get that neck cuff off?"

The change in facial expression was shocking. One moment, Merlin's face had been transformed into a huge, innocent grin that made you want to protect him and give him a hug and be his best friend. The next moment, his eyes had betrayed a knowledge beyond his years and the grin had disappeared. Everything about him in that instant made Arthur want to look away so he didn't have to know that there was such horror in the world. But he didn't look away. None of them did, Merlin noted.

Merlin answered Arthur's question with, "You get it off the same way you free me from slavery."

Arthur's eyes saddened as he realized the truth and he said, "Ah, and, why do you have it on anyway?"

Merlin bit the inside of his cheek, not sure how to answer. On the one hand, he _had_ to tell the truth. That was one of the many laws that governed slaves. If he didn't do this, he would be in serious trouble. On the other hand, he had seen the way that Arthur looked at Hawkthorne as he said the word _sorcery_. He had spit out the word as if even thinking it would poison his brain.

There was a small niggle of doubt in Merlin's mind that was telling him that Arthur would kill him if he found out about the magic. That same little niggle of doubt told him that this was the best place he had ever been or would ever be and with the kindest master he had ever beholden. Merlin didn't want to give all of that up. And for what? How would Arthur even find out the truth anyways? There was no way Merlin was going to get the vile thing off, so why bother?

The more reasonable and friendly side of himself told Merlin that Arthur would accept him. It told him that if he spoke fast enough to explain that he was born with it (he had no idea how he knew to say that, but he somehow figured it was important), then Arthur would let him live. He was already in the brig, Merlin mused. He thought that it really couldn't get much better anyways.

The knights watched the inner battle wage across his face and waited with bated breath for what he would say. None of them could imagine what could be so bad that he was obviously so against saying it.

Merlin closed his eyes, opened them, took a deep breath, and then said in a huge rush, "I have magic. I was born with it and could make things float and move with my mind before I could walk or talk. I never chose magic; it chose me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Yeah… this update took forever. I was updating other stories and then I just had a major writer's block for this story and the whole mixture just wound up with me taking forever to update. Anywho, hope you enjoy this chapter (no cliffie this time round)! As per usual, read, review, and enjoy!**

**PS: This story made it to over 50 followers! Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed! (Oh, and by the way, Mordred couldn't tell that Merlin had magic because of the neck cuff)**

For a minute and a half, Arthur didn't say anything. The only move he made was to tighten his hand on the hilt of his sword. He didn't even stand up; he just stared at Merlin.

Out of the corner of Merlin's eye, he could see Lance sidling closer to him, his gaze trained on Arthur. Leon was acting much the same as his king. Percival's eyebrows had drawn together and he was obviously going through every moment he had spent with the young warlock. Mordred had a confused look plastered across his face as if he should have somehow realized.

Gwaine looked like he had been punched. Then his expression cleared and he laughed, "Ha! Good joke, mate! I almost believed you there for a second."

Merlin's eyes flitted quickly to Gwaine's face and then back to Arthur's, "I must always tell the truth."

Gwaine opened and closed his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he eventually closed it and smacked the cage. Merlin flinched violently, almost falling over and Gwaine looked like he wanted to apologize, but he kept quiet.

Merlin flinching was what finally brought Arthur out of his daze. He said, "You say you were born with it?" He waited for Merlin to nod before continuing, this time his voice cold, "I thought you said you couldn't lie to me."

The prisoner's forehead crinkled and he asked, "How was I lying?"

Arthur spat, "_Sorcerers_ cannot be born with magic. They choose it and it corrupts their soul. Magic is evil."

Somehow Merlin forced himself to ignore Arthur obvious hatred of him and he said, "Well, there are several things wrong with that statement. One, I am not a sorcerer. You're right on the account that sorcerers can't be born with it. Two, how can nature corrupt your soul? Using magic is simply using something within you that was given to you by Earth herself and pulling forces from nature to do a spell. Three, magic is not evil, the user is evil. Or the user is good. It all depends on the person." Merlin raised his eyes to look at the ceiling, trying to think if there was anything else he could add. Eventually, he nodded, pleased with his answer.

Then he looked at Arthur. The pirate king looked as if his whole world was falling apart. Merlin hadn't thought that what he said was that life changing. That's when he looked at the rest of the knights and most of them had that same expression on their faces. Merlin frowned, "What?"

Arthur said slowly, "Magic… is… evil." His knights nodded along with him.

Merlin shook his head, "How do I explain this so you'll understand?"

Arthur repeated, "Magic… is… evil." His hand tightened on his sword and Merlin knew what to say.

Merlin sat up straighter and said, "Think of it this way, the true way. Magic is like a really powerful, multitasking sword. Would you say that a sword is evil? No, you wouldn't. The person who wields the sword might be evil though. Or they might be good."

His words seemed to be getting through to the knights, but the king remained stubbornly set in his ways, "Why haven't I seen any good magic then?"

Merlin shuttered his eyes and muttered about Arthur being a cabbage headed prat before raising his voice, "Is magic outlawed where you came from?" Arthur nodded and Merlin continued, "If magic is outlawed, why would people use good magic when they know they would be killed for doing it. The only reason you think magic is evil is because you've only seen evil magic. Good magic users won't shove their magic in their oppressor's faces because they want to keep living so they can keep saving people. Evil magic users just want revenge for loved ones and they want to be able to practice magic freely and they decide that doing bad things is the way to accomplish that goal."

Arthur almost said something, but then he just opted for burying his head in his hands and running them through his hair. Lance asked, "Wait, you said that sorcerers can't be born with magic, but you can. What are you then?"

Merlin answered, "I'm a warlock."

"What's the difference?" Percival asked. Merlin noted that Mordred looked even more shell shocked than before.

The young warlock filed that away for later and answered Percival, "Well, the biggest difference is that warlocks are born with magic where sorcerers must learn it. Both are born with the ability to learn magic, but only warlocks are born with instinctual magic and the capabilities to learn magic at a young age. Some sorcerers, if they are powerful enough, have a little bit of instinctual magic, but not a lot. There are other types of magic users as well, but sorcerers and sorceresses are the most common."

"How common are warlocks?" Leon asked hesitantly. Arthur looked at his second in command in surprise.

Merlin's eyes flicked to Arthur, but he answered anyways, "As far as I know, I am the only warlock."

That statement was met with silence only broken by Elyan asking what the other types of magic users were. Merlin answered, "There are druids, who are born with magic, but use nature magic only. They don't have a, per say, pool of power within themselves. They're more of a… cannon to shoot the power out of. Then there are witches, who develop their powers at somewhere around twenty years. They are one of the most powerful magic users. Oftentimes, they are also seers. Another name for a seer is prophet or prophetess. They see the future through nightmares or crystals."

Mordred, his voice rough, asked, "How do you know all of this stuff? If you've been… a slave since you were a little kid, how do you know this?"

Merlin hesitated before answering. He snuck a glance at Arthur, who wasn't running his hands through his hair anymore and seemed to be actively listening to the conversation. Arthur rolled his hand in a 'continue on' gesture and only then did Merlin start talking, "One of my masters, after I got the neck cuff, was interested in my magic and taught me as much as he could about it before someone else attacked and took me as their slave."

The knights visibly winced at the young boy's flippant remarks about slavery. Merlin figured that they must not be used to it. Arthur tried to speak, but his voice cracked. He coughed and started again, "How… how many… masters have you had?"

Merlin raised his eyes to the ceiling and counted silently, finally answering, "Including you and my original slaver, not captor that would be six masters."

This time the knights looked a little sick as Arthur said, "Ah," in a tiny voice.

Merlin was really happy that they were off the magic conversation, but he had to ask, "So, what are you going to do with me?"

Arthur raised his head and bit his bottom lip. Then Gwaine, who hadn't yet spoken, said, "Hey Queenie, whatever you choose, I'll protect Merlin because Merlin is in the right this time."

Arthur stared at him in shock and Lance said, "So will I."

Percival chimed in, "And I."

Mordred said, "You did say that we would protect him as we would protect you."

Elyan said, "That's very true."

Then, most surprising of all, Leon said, "I will protect Merlin with my life. As you instructed, of course."

Arthur just stared at them in shock. Then he laughed darkly and said, "Well, I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? Merlin, you can be let out of the brig now. We have a room set up for you. I just have one question, who was it that was your original slaver?"

Merlin answered, "I do not know. I never heard her name."

Arthur sighed, "And is she the one who put that neck cuff on you?"

Merlin shook his head and Arthur sighed again, "Do you know who put the neck cuff on you?"

Merlin's eyes darkened as he remembered that day.

_He, his father, and Freya ran through the forest. Her red dress had tears all up the sides of it and around the hems. Merlin's and his father's clothes weren't much better. For a few days, they had been fine. Balinor had done some dragon lord magic to hide their trail and Freya hadn't killed anyone._

_ Then they heard the baying of Cenred's hounds. It turned out that the beasts were magically enhanced to pick up even trails that were covered by magic. Freya, who knew a little druid magic, had taught Merlin how to use magic to unlock chains and they had run together. Cenred wanted them back._

_ Merlin and Freya's feet were torn to pieces and the blood trail they left behind would be easy to follow even for the most amateur of hunters._

_ They rounded a corner and Cenred and his men were there. Next to the monstrous man and his beasts was the sorceress, Morgause. Soon, the three were surrounded. Merlin took Freya's hand and Balinor put his hand on his son's shoulder. Morgause laughed, "Well, well, well. Isn't this like a perfect little group. Little Merlin finally found his father and his true love. It's too bad that we have to take that away from you, Merlin."_

_ Merlin raised his hands and shouted, "Stay back! Leave us alone!"_

_ Morgause laughed and shouted, "_Ic I drífe!_" Merlin's father and Freya were sent flying backwards, both slamming into trees. Balinor struggled back up to his feet, but Freya stayed limp on the ground._

_ Merlin made to rush to Freya's side, but two of Cenred's men grabbed his arms. Merlin's eyes flared a deep, pure gold and the men flew hundreds of feet away. Merlin didn't care. All he cared about was getting to Freya and his father's side._

_ Two more of Cenred's men grabbed Balinor, who struggled, calling out to any dragon that might be near to come help them, but none was close enough. Another two men grabbed Freya's unconscious form and held daggers to her neck. _

_ Cenred said tauntingly, "I just thought that you'd like to know, but if you take one more step, or if your eyes show the tiniest hint of gold, they will kill her."_

_ Merlin froze, breathing hard. He watched as his father and true love were dragged to kneel in front of Cenred. His voice came out tiny when he said, "Please, take me back. I'll come with you and never try to escape again, but please just let them go. I can make them swear to not come back for me and I won't try to escape, but spare them, please!"_

_ Merlin was so focused on Cenred that he hadn't noticed Morgause come up behind him. He only realized it when Morgause slid a thick, heavy band of metal around Merlin's neck. The ends connected with a hiss and Cenred said, "Remember, don't move or you family will die."_

_ Merlin's eyes opened wide as Morgause started chanting, "_Díacon þes swéorbéag hæfting ferhþ sele ic elcora bebod hit. Díacon þes swéorbéag áflygenness þes scinnlæca fram fricu esne bealucræft._" Merlin didn't know then the translations of the language of the Old Religion, but he did feel the effects._

_ All in one huge rush, the chain started to burn and Merlin could feel the runes marking their dark art onto his skin. He felt his magic being ripped from his soul and into the chain and he felt so empty and so cold and in _so much pain_. Merlin screamed and screamed and screamed until he couldn't scream anymore._

_ His cries for mercy, for the pain to end tapered off and he lifted his head from where it now lay on the ground. Freya had woken and she was crying, her hands over her ears. Balinor was struggling against his human bonds to get to his son. Morgause noticed that Merlin had stopped screaming and she crouched down next to him, "My, you must be quite powerful for it to hurt that much. I'm impressed though, that you managed to scream so little for so much pain." She leaned all the way down next to him and whispered in his ear, "Get ready to scream some more."_

_ Merlin looked up at her, terrified, and it suddenly hit him that he was only fourteen years old and he shouldn't have to be in so much pain and be so terrified. But he was. It didn't change the matter._

_ Some more of Cenred's goons (did he ever run out?) yanked Merlin's pain infused body into a sitting position. Cenred walked in between Merlin and his family and, like Morgause, crouched down to his level. He said, "You know, I really would like to spare them, I really would. But I want you to learn a lesson. You are a slave. You are a nobody. No one is safe around you. Never make friends because they will always fall with you. Never fall in love and never call someone your family. You will only be backstabbed or you will only watch them die. This is, unfortunately for them, the latter. Watch your family die and know that it was _all your fault_."_

_ Merlin started to beg them to stop, to leave them alone, but it was too late. Cenred cut their heads off and laughed as Merlin screamed._

Merlin closed his eyes and shook off the memory. Arthur and his knights stared at him in concern, staggering back in shock when they heard the venom in his voice as he finally answered, "The ones who put this chain on me are Cenred and Morgause."

Arthur spluttered, "Who?"

Merlin glared at him, something he would never normally do, and said, "You heard me. Don't make me defile my tongue by saying their names again."

Gwaine raised his eyebrows and whistled at Merlin's statement, but Leon cuffed him in the head. While the rogue knight was spluttering indignantly, Arthur said, "I'm sorry, it's just that Morgause is Morgana's half-sister. Morgana is… was my half-sister. You know when you were describing types of magic users? Well, Morgana is a witch."

Merlin's shoulders slumped and he said, "Oh, that's awful. Not the witch part, but the joining… _her_ part."

Arthur laughed without humor and then asked, "What could they have possibly done to you to make you hate them that much?"

Merlin's shoulders slumped even more and his face closed off. He answered, "All I'll say is that they are monsters and they are the only people in the world that I would ever want to kill."

The pirate king blinked at Merlin, shocked, and then answered slowly, "Well then, let's go get that neck cuff off and my sister back. In the process, we can probably kill them."

This time, it was Merlin's turn to be shocked. He asked, "You actually want to take my neck cuff off?"

Arthur frowned at him, "Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

Merlin looked at him like he was crazy, "Because it's the only thing keeping me from using my magic."

Arthur just looked at him, "When we get it off, just don't use your magic."

"Are you serious?" Merlin asked.

"Yes."

"I can't just not use magic. Not using magic literally kills me. It is a part of my very soul and having it gone right now is killing me. I have to use it."

"That's… stupid." Arthur finally responded with.

Merlin was about to make a retort when a shout came from the deck, "Land ahoy!"

Arthur looked at Merlin and Merlin looked at Arthur, who said, "We'll talk about this later. For now, let us go enjoy your first shopping trip as a semi free person!" The knights cheered and Gwaine dragged Merlin from the cell.

Merlin mentally shrugged and ran along with them on his first steps to freedom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I am trying to update more often (I mean seriously, it's the summer and I really don't have much else to do), but we'll see. The reason I haven't been updating that much is a new addiction to a new show (White Collar). If you haven't seen the show, well, you should see it (unless you don't want to become addicted). I am using a lot of parentheses in this author's note. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!**

**PS: A lot of dialogue in this chapter.**

Shopping was… not as much fun as Merlin thought it was going to be. He had gotten a nice, but slightly worn looking brown jacket, a blue and a red tunic, two pairs of brown britches, and a soft pair of leather boots. He had also gotten four neckerchiefs (two blue and two red) to cover his neck cuff. The group had flitted from stall to stall to find all of that. Arthur had left with some other pirates before coming back with wagons loaded down with food, water, and other necessities. Merlin didn't talk much other than to ask, "Where are we?"

Lancelot had turned to him and said, "We're in a neighboring kingdom called Mercia. You know that Arthur is a Pirate King, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he spends all of his time on the water. We have a land base too. That land base is in a kingdom called Camelot, which Arthur's father, Uther had taken over from the inside, managing to get Arthur named Crown Prince by the King of Camelot. Uther's still alive, but we won't tell him that you have magic. If you think that Arthur doesn't like magic, wait until you see Uther. He's the one that ordered the Great Purge twenty years ago.

"When Uther's wife, Arthur's mother, Ygraine, died, Uther blamed magic for it. He called for an immediate execution of every known magic user in the land. They were tied, four people to a stake, and burned alive. Eventually, they would also hang magic-users and cut off their heads-," Lancelot missed the way Merlin flinched when he mentioned people getting their heads cut off, "-to get rid of them. Almost everyone hates magic and would do anything to remove it. Even if you harbor a sorcerer, you can be executed. I always found it ironic, personally, because Uther spared Gaius, the Court Physician, from the flames. Gaius is Uther's best friend and greatest council, but he is also a sorcerer. Uther spared him because they were friends. There was no other reason." Lance finished quietly.

Merlin looked up at him in confusion, "So, why did you spare me, then?"

Lancelot collected his thoughts before answering, "Gwaine, Percival, and I grew up in places other than Camelot, so we didn't have such a… strict upbringing regarding magic-users. That's why it didn't really bother us that much, but as for the reason the others spared you: I think it's because you said you were born with it. You know Mordred, right? Although I know I probably don't have to tell you this, please don't share this information. Only Arthur and his closest knights know. Mordred is a druid. Druids are born with magic, so Arthur felt like he couldn't kill him. Also, Mordred was only a couple of years younger than us when we first met him and Arthur does not feel comfortable killing children or women. So, he spared Mordred and I guess he spared you as well because you're kind of in the same boat."

Merlin just nodded and said, "Ah."

Lancelot looked back at him and said, "Merlin, I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. I will do my best to understand you and support you." Merlin looked up at him with wide eyes and was about to say something. That was when one of the other knights dragged him to a stall to look at some trinket or another.

When they finally got back to the ship, the knights showed Merlin to his room. They dropped his clothes off and made sure to warn him one more time, "Don't let anyone else on board know about your magic." He nodded and went to sit on his bed.

His bed. He hadn't had his own real bed in _years_. He had had blankets and maybe a cot or two, but not a bed. Merlin ran a hand across the sheets, which were soft, if a little stained. He looked at the pillow at the head of the bed and let a smile grow on his face. Pillows were even rarer for slaves than beds. Merlin was about to just lie down on his bed and sleep for years, but he sighed and got up instead.

Merlin was putting his clothing away neatly in his drawers (that wouldn't last long) when someone knocked tentatively on his door. He looked up and padded over, pulling the door open. He was surprised when he saw Mordred there, shifting slightly from foot to foot. Merlin smiled at the younger boy and said, "Hey Mordred, do you need anything?" Merlin had to force himself to not look down at his feet.

Mordred tried to talk, but it came out as a croak, so he tried again, "Can… can I come in?"

Merlin smiled again (oh, how he loved to smile) and motioned for Mordred to come in. He pulled out a chair and said that Mordred could sit in the chair, or on the bed. Mordred chose the chair.

It was a few minutes before Mordred spoke again, and Merlin was willing to wait him out. When he did speak, he said, "Lancelot told you that I'm a druid." It was a statement, not a question, but Merlin nodded anyway.

Mordred smiled for a second and said, "I'm sorry that I'm being so awkward about this. I don't mean to, it's just that in normal circumstances, I would never tell anyone about my heritage. It's…hard."

The young warlock nodded seriously at the druid and paused before saying, "If you ever need to talk to anyone, about anything, magic or otherwise, you know where to find me." For some reason, Merlin had a gut instinct that he _needed_ to be Mordred's friend. It was such a driving need, one that made him feel as if people's lives were at stake if he didn't do this.

Mordred, however, just smiled brightly, his whole face lighting up. Then his smile curved back down into a frown and he said, "Thank you. You said you were a warlock, right? And that, so far as you know, you are the only warlock alive, right?"

Merlin nodded, not quite sure where this conversation was going. Mordred took a deep breath and said in a rush, "The druids have a prophecy that says when magic is outlawed from the land, a warlock will be born. The Warlock will be born. Our people call him Emrys. He will be the most powerful magic wielder to ever walk the land, before or after his life. It is said that he will protect the Once and Future King and guide him to bringing magic back to the land and uniting Albion."

This time, Merlin reared back a little bit, unsure. "You think I'm this warlock, don't you?" Merlin asked slowly.

Mordred nodded and answered just as slowly, "You are the only warlock I've seen and you seem to be just the right age. Many druids speculate that King Arthur is the Once and Future King. I can't tell how powerful your magic is because of your neck cuff, but I assume it's very powerful. All of the pieces fit the prophecy."

Merlin put his face in his hands and rubbed them up and down. He was not at all prepared for this. This was not going as he expected it to. He couldn't possibly be this Emrys person. It just didn't make sense. Mordred looked down at his hands and said, "I'm sorry."

Merlin looked up and said quickly, "No! No, don't apologize. It's not you. It's not even me, evidently. It's just how it is. Thank you for telling me this." To make it more convincing, Merlin smiled at the younger boy. He smiled back. Just then the bells rang signifying supper.

Supper that night was the best that Merlin had tasted since he was taken as a slave. The other pirates had watched in amusement as Merlin practically inhaled his food, taking seconds and even thirds. The others had complained about their food at the beginning of the meal, but watching how quickly and enthusiastically Merlin ate his made them reconsider. Merlin could tell that each of them were wondering what he could have eaten before to make this taste good.

After supper, Merlin had gone back to his room, Lance following close behind. They talked about the prophecy and about Merlin's magic and life. All of that was something that Merlin had never shared with anyone before. One the one hand, he felt like he was stripped bare for everyone to see, but on the other hand, he trusted Lancelot. Trust was something that Merlin did not give easily and he was apprehensive that it had taken Lance less than two weeks to be the most trustworthy person Merlin knew.

It wasn't just Merlin sharing either. Where Merlin told about his life and magic, Lance talked about his life and his swordsmanship. He talked about the castle in Camelot and what it was like serving King Arthur. He even shared the fact that he was in love with the Queen. It was almost midnight by the time they were done sharing information and they went separate ways, knowing that they had just become brothers in all but blood.

After Lance left, Merlin couldn't sleep and he decided to go up on deck and watch the sea for a little bit. Water always calmed him and reminded him of Freya. She was always gushing about the lake at her old home. They had said that they were going to find a lake like that and build a house there, but fate took her away too soon.

He was so lost in his memories of Freya that Merlin didn't notice Arthur come up next to him until Arthur shattered the silence, "Can't sleep?"

Merlin jumped and his balance was off, causing him to start to topple over the railing. Luckily, Arthur caught him and dragged him back onto the ship. Arthur laughed uproariously at Merlin and Merlin smiled shakily in return. Eventually, Merlin answered, "Nope. You can't sleep either, or is this just your shift?"

Arthur smile to himself and looked out over the waves, "The Captain always gets the first shift because it's the best one. So, I can't sleep either. I'm excited to see my wife tomorrow or the next day. That's when we get to a dock city near Camelot. From there, it's only a quarter of a day long ride for the knights and me. You'll be coming with us. We always leave before the rest because we don't want to be held up by the caravan."

Merlin made sure his voice didn't betray his jealousy of someone else having love where he didn't and said, "You really love her, then?"

Arthur's sigh could only have been described as dreamy and Merlin smiled. Arthur proceeded to tell Merlin everything about her. Merlin listened and struggled to keep his melancholy off of his face. The young warlock was surprised at everyone's openness with him, but he figured it was because he had become a part of their 'elite group' when Arthur told them to protect him with their lives.

Eventually, Arthur's stories tapered to an end and he yawned loudly. Merlin smiled at him, but Arthur just scowled back. When he said, "Get some sleep, Merlin," the scowl turned into a slight smile. Merlin grinned back and went down to his room to sleep. Hopefully, he would see Camelot tomorrow and find out why so many people loved it so much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: It's been a while since I updated this story, so I figured might as well. I've been binge posting on another story to finish it (still not finished, but whatever). I might make a tad bit more mistakes than usual because I have an injured finger, but bear with me (is that the correct version of bear?). Alright, read, review, and enjoy!**

**PS: Not entirely pleased with how fast this chapter progresses. It seems kind of choppy to me, but I couldn't get it to sound any better. (Not actually pleased with this chapter at all)**

It took them a long time to reach Camelot, but when they did, two days later, Merlin certainly wasn't disappointed. He gazed around in obvious wonder at the scenes playing out around him. There was a fishmonger selling slightly spoiled wares. Over there was a magician showing some kids tricks for free. On the other side was a dress maker and fortune teller arguing over which knight was better looking. Three men laughed outside a bar, obviously drunk, regaling each other with stories that were probably made up right on the spot.

Then the castle came into view. It was huge and proud with blindingly white stones and rich, Pendragon red hanging from every available space. Guards marched proudly back and forth on the castle walls, waving to young maidens below. As the group rode into the courtyard, Merlin noticed that there was a great crowd waiting for them. Knights and their squires lined the stair case on the left and the right. A small army made up of servants and stable hands waited in a blob against the wall. At the top of the steps two figures stood tall and regal. One of them Merlin recognized from both Arthur and Lancelot's descriptions as the Queen. The other one he assumed was Lord Uther Pendragon, advisor to the throne.

Merlin took an immediate dislike to the man, although he wasn't sure if it was because of his views on magic, or if it was because of the cold arrogance and disdain that lit his eyes with an evil fire. Either way, the man reminded him too much of a magic-hating Cenred and Merlin lowered his head even as he got off his horse. Lancelot, who had ridden next to Merlin the whole trip, bumped his shoulder against the young warlock's, "Don't look down and don't act submissive. You're not really a slave anymore, so don't act like it. We don't think that Uther will ask about you, but if he does, just let Arthur or one of the other knights do the talking. You alright?"

Over their time together on the boat, Merlin had managed to tell Lancelot of every little detail of his life. He knew the full story of Freya and Balinor, so Merlin could tell he was shocked when the former slave said, "Uther reminds me so much of Cenred." He forced the last word out, spitting it as if it were poison.

Lancelot frowned at him and didn't say anything for a while. It was only when they were walking down the hallways, following their king and queen that Lancelot, leaning in slightly and looking around, making sure that not even the other knights could hear them, said, "Your comment made me start to compare the two men and I realized that Uther isn't acting normally. What if… what if somehow… never mind. When you see him, what makes you think of Cenred?"

Merlin shot a look at Lancelot, berating him with a glance, "I know what you're trying to say. You think that it's possible that that person literally is... _him_. Now you're trying to compare your knowledge of how the king normally acts to how I know _he_ acts. I'm not stupid, Lance." The noble knight smiled grimly at his new friend and waved his hand for Merlin to continue, "Well, they walk with the same swagger. _He_ walks slowly and with exaggerated steps, like Uther's doing now."

"Well," Lancelot bit the inside of his lip, "That's certainly not how Uther normally acts. He usually walks with quick, strong steps that are just for practicality, not for others." They frowned simultaneously.

Merlin continued slowly, "They both talk quietly and try to look good while doing it. They use words that are big and make them sound smarter and seem more lord-like."

Lancelot shrugged saying, "Most of that is typical Uther behavior, except talking quietly. He's the only person I know who's louder than Arthur. He can get an entire room silent with a single word. Alright, anything else?"

Merlin shrugged back, answering, "Not really. I think it's his eyes that do it the most. They have a… burning desperation and hatred in their eyes that make them hard to look at. It's cold and… malicious, as if the devil himself has come out to light the fire beneath their eyes."

Before answering, Lancelot looked back at his brother in bond. With his words, he had seemed almost in a trance, hollow. When he looked back at him, however, he seemed fine. Lancelot said, "No one has mentioned anything magical yet, which is really the only time I've ever seen Uther like that. Are there moments when Cenred didn't have that look in his eyes?"

Merlin thought for a moment before saying, "Only if you mentioned Morgause. I think he truly loves her." The young warlock shuddered at the thought.

Lancelot nodded thoughtfully and said, "I'll find a way to mention her in a controlled conversation and we'll see how he responds. If his response proves our theory, then we'll go straight to Arthur about it."

"Do you think he'll believe us if we say that he spent most of the afternoon not actually talking to his father but instead giving away the secrets of the kingdom with every word he says?" Merlin asked.

The knight paled as he realized the true implications of what could be happening. Everything swirled in his head for a moment before resting in a finished picture. Uther disappearing for a few days about a month ago was really Cenred torturing the king for information. When he realized that the king wouldn't give anything up, he used his sorceress to turn him into Uther, going back to the kingdom, claiming everything was fine and that he had just lost his mount and gotten stuck in the undergrowth. Cenred's attacks on Camelot had tapered off at around that point as well. The enemy king had brought himself back into the kingdom, fitting in as best as he could, and, with a few well-pointed conversations, was learning everything about Camelot!

Lancelot itched to run to Arthur now and run the monster through with his blade, but he still didn't know _for sure_ if this man was Cenred. He needed proof and then he needed to call a meeting of the Round Table, including Merlin and Gaius and not including Uther. The young man voiced these thoughts to Merlin and the young slave nodded in agreement. It was at that moment that they made it to the throne room and Arthur dismissed everyone but his wife and Uther. He informed them that he would be calling them in, one by one, to discuss the details of the trip with Uther, letting him deal with the official reports. Lancelot grinned to himself. That was his moment to mention Morgause. With a 'be careful' from Merlin, the knight stood in line to talk with the Court Advisor.

Several hours later found Lancelot bustling through the castle, asking everyone if they had seen a certain black-haired boy who was too thin for his own good. Almost no one had seen him and those that had just gave vague directions as to where he went. After a half an hour of searching, Lancelot got his first real lead as to where the boy was.

The knight started climbing the stairs excitedly, taking them two at a time. He almost ran smack dab into Leon as he rounded a corner. Leon helped him balance out before asking, "What's got you in such a hurry?"

Lancelot puffed out, "You need to call a meeting of the Round Table. The knights, the king, the queen, Gaius, and Merlin. I'll most likely find Merlin and you find can let the rest know. Can you have them meet in the king's chambers?" Leon glanced at him warily, but didn't question him further, choosing instead to nod and find the others.

When Lancelot finally found Merlin, it was five staircases and six turns later and he was exhausted. However, he didn't say anything for a moment, instead just staring at the boy in front of him.

The wind on the top of the castle parapet was blowing his messy raven hair around and billowing out his shirt, showing flashes of pale skin. His prominent cheekbones were flushed pink from the wind and his merry blue eyes were dancing. For a moment, he looked free. Then a slight scuffling sound was made as Lance stepped forward. In an instant, that haunted look crept back into his eyes and he looked at Lance curiously. When the knight didn't say anything Merlin asked, "Did you find something?"

Lance nodded and said, "I've called a meeting of the Round Table. It's in the king's quarters. I'll fill you in on what I found out on our way down there. Come on."

"What is the meaning of this meeting?" Arthur demanded as soon as Lancelot and Merlin stepped into the room. They were the last to arrive and had come into the room in a hurry. Arthur felt slightly bad for sounding so harsh when he noticed Merlin flinch violently at his tone. The king sighed and asked in a softer tone, "We're home now, and so what's wrong?"

Lancelot pulled out a seat for Merlin next to Mordred and then sat himself, talking all the while, "Merlin made a comment to me as we were walking into the castle and I thought nothing of it really. I just pushed it to the side of my mind. Evidently, though, that side of my mind is smarter than I gave it credit for because it started to notice things that went with that thing that Merlin said and-,"

He was cut off by the Queen, Gweneviere, raising her hand slightly and asking, almost apologetically, "Who is Merlin?"

Lancelot pointed to the boy sitting next to him and Merlin waved a little shyly. Gwen nodded and said, "Ah."

The noble knight took this as a sign to continue and said, "I then started to notice things and asked Merlin to compare the things I was noticing to the person that he mentioned and they mostly matched up. There was one part that we couldn't really determine whether or not it matched, and if it matched, then that would convince me of my mind's idea. So we devised a plan to figure it out and when I was with him, I enacted the test and he ended up showing positive. It's true!"

After a slight pause where they waited for Lance to continue, Arthur growled, "What's true?" He was starting to get very impatient.

This time Lancelot truly hesitated and he only answered after looking to Merlin and seeing him nod, "What's true is that… well… Arthur, your father… Cenred has taken Uther and is now at court in his place."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the slight cliffhanger and the OVER A MONTH wait for this chapter. I hope that it's good enough for it. I really can't say anything other than I had an extremely bad writers block and ended up not posting anything in a really long time. I'm trying to update all of my stories before school starts in a couple of days. Read, review (pretty pretty please), and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: There's a spell in here that is partially based off of a Harry Potter thing, so I don't own Harry Potter either.**

**PS: I have some Uther/Cenred in here and I'm really awful at writing Uther, so please just ignore that horror.**

AAAAAA

_This time Lancelot truly hesitated and he only answered after looking to Merlin and seeing him nod, "What's true is that… well… Arthur, your father… Cenred has taken Uther and is now at court in his place."_

Arthur was not pleased. He had finally come home after a trip on the seas. He got to see his gorgeous wife and his strong father and now Lancelot was spewing utter madness! There was no other word for it! How could Lancelot even think something like this? Arthur realized that everyone was watching him for a reaction, so he scoffed, "And next you're going to tell me that my wife is secretly Morgause in disguise, right?"

A few of the knights laughed uncertainly, but Arthur noticed that others had strange reactions. Lancelot looked to Merlin helplessly as if hoping he could help. Mordred was looking at Merlin like he was the savior who could fix everything. Then there was Gaius, who was watching Merlin with an eagle's eye, mentally taking him apart and testing to see what good would come of this boy. His queen stared at Merlin as if assessing how much food she would have to give him to fatten him up. Arthur couldn't help crying out, "Why is everyone looking at Merlin?"

Again, he instantly regretted shouting when Merlin flinched and looked quickly down at his feet. He wondered mildly how long it would take for the boy to stop doing that, but then realized that it might be never, especially if he kept shouting like that. Gaius interrupted his train of thought by saying, "I was personally looking at him because Sir Lancelot had mentioned something Merlin said gave him the idea. May I ask what your reasoning behind this particular piece of information is?"

Arthur butted in before Lance could answer, saying, "You can't seriously think this has merit! He's suggesting that I wouldn't even recognize my own father! That my father is either hidden somewhere or possibly dead!"

"He's not dead." Merlin answered suddenly, directing everyone's attention back to him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, starting to lower his head submissively, but then raising it back up again.

Leon frowned, "What?"

The former slave hesitated a moment before answering, his voice gaining confidence as it went on, "What Lancelot said about the Lord Uther I saw being… Cenred is correct. That means that… Morgause would have had to bespell Cenred to turn him into Uther. The only spell I know is actually a potion and requires a certain phase of the moon, which would fit the timeline of when Uther was missing for a few days. That potion needs some part of the person they are trying to replicate, like a hair or nail clipping. It also needs the person to be alive during the transformation, otherwise it won't work. He must be held somewhere, probably under Morgause's control and, knowing the way _she_ works, he's most likely in a deep sleep so as to not cause trouble. Well, she probably had Morgana with her, teaching her the tricks of the trade. Actually, she's probably training Morgana to be the next High Priestess. I don't think there are many left after the Great Purge wiped most of them out. You know-,"

He would probably have continued for a while if Lancelot hadn't interrupted quickly, sending him an undecipherable look, "What he means to say is that Uther is alive, but not here. Cenred has been here since 'Uther' came back a month ago, claiming that he just lost his horse and had some issues with a thicket."

Gwen glanced around for a second before turning to Arthur, "Why does he know so much about spells and potions and High Priestesses?" She pointed a calloused hand at Merlin.

Arthur winced and glanced to Merlin quickly, hopefully conveying his intent before saying, "He has magic."

Merlin's head whipped up and he stared at Arthur with shock and what looked a little bit like betrayal. The King winced; evidently Merlin hadn't gotten the memo. Gaius however just sighed and gave Arthur The Eyebrow. He said quietly, "Why don't you give us the _full_ story before we continue this conversation, hm?"

And so he did, leaving nothing out and being aided by his knights throwing in random tidbits of information here and there. Lancelot then told them of what had happened from when they came into the castle to when he went to find Merlin. When he was finished, Gaius said, "I see. Now, it seems to me that if the Uther that in the castle currently was Cenred, then Merlin would be the most likely person to recognize it. And Lancelot is very intuitive and observational. There is merit to their idea. I have been Uther's best friend and one of his closest advisors for many years now and I have to say that he has been acting differently. Not enough to cause worry, but enough that this makes sense to me."

Arthur frowned and shook his head, growling, "I would know if he wasn't my father! I would be able to tell! Surely all of you can understand that I would recognize my own father, right?"

Gwaine attempted to do The Eyebrow and said, "Arthur, you do realize that every one of your closest knights' fathers are dead, most killed while they were young. Your wife's father has passed. Gaius' father has passed. I'm not sure about Merlin." He paused while Merlin muttered that his father was dead and then continued, "You are literally the only person in this room who still has a father left alive. I really don't think that we are the best people to ask."

The pirate leader blinked and frowned as he grasped how true the drunkard's words were. He thought for a moment and finally muttered pathetically, "I would _know_ if he wasn't my father."

Merlin smiled at him as if he could understand how Arthur was feeling (which Arthur doubted he could) and said quietly, "Sometimes people can know something, deep down, but they ignore it because it's too horrible to contemplate, too scary to ever see happening. Sometimes the clues are there if you look, but you don't look because you don't want to see it."

"When did you get all wise?" Arthur sneered at him. Once again, he regretted his actions when the sad smile slipped off the slave's face and was replaced by a look of weary acceptance. Lancelot's lips tightened into a white line and Gwaine openly glared at the king. Arthur didn't say anything for a second and then said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that… this… this is hard for me to… to understand."

The young warlock stared up at him in complete surprise. Obviously, no one had ever apologized to him before. Truthfully, Arthur had never really apologized in the first place. He told himself that the only reason he apologized was because Merlin had looked like other masters had done this to him before and Arthur didn't want to be anything like them. It had nothing to do with the fact that it hurt him to see Merlin hurt (because it didn't, not even close).

The rest of the Round Table looked at him in open surprise as well, having never heard their king apologize to anyone for anything. Gwaine got a knowing smile on his face and Arthur frowned at him, hoping it would discourage the knight. It didn't. Gwen put a hand on Arthur's arm and turned to the group, "What are we going to do now? We can't just out him in front of the court. And what about Merlin? Surely Cenred would recognize him given the chance."

Arthur nodded, glad that the conversation was back on course, "I can get him to come with me without complaint. He won't notice that anything is wrong. Then we can take him and force him to tell us where my father is. We'll find my father and kill Cenred."

Merlin looked up at him sharply, "Why would you kill Cenred?"

Elyan's eyebrows drew together and he asked in confusion, "Didn't you say that him and Morgause were the only two people you would ever consider killing?"

"Yes," Merlin began, "But not in cold blood. Never in cold blood. If he were to be in a situation where he had to show us where Lord Uther is, then he is helpless. You can't kill a helpless person, no matter how horrible they are or how strong of an enemy."

Arthur frowned at him thoughtfully, "Then I'll give him a sword and challenge him to a duel. The best man wins, simple as that."

Gaius shook his head and gave Arthur another Eyebrow, "Merlin did say earlier that Morgause or Morgana is likely to be wherever Uther is being held. Surely you can't believe that you could fight either one of them."

The king looked at his physician and said, "We'll just have to take that chance. We have to get my father back, Gaius. I will, however, give everyone the chance to back out now. Only members of the Round Table can go on this trip: we have to keep this silent. It is likely that some people won't survive this battle, so if you wish to leave, do so now."

No one moved, indicating that all of his knights would journey with him. He smiled at them; heart filled with pride and then laid out the plan. It would begin in the morning.

AAAAAA

"Father!" Arthur called out, forcing himself to not grimace at the man before him. Cenred looked back at him and nodded seriously. Arthur jogged to catch up to him and when he did, he said, "Father. It's been over a month since we went hunting together. I thought that perhaps we could do so today. There are no Lords or Ladies visiting and the people seem content to go their own way. The Regent is willing to take over for a couple of days while we go hunting."

Arthur held his breath, certain that the foreign king would refuse and the plan would crumble apart. Fortunately, Cenred gave a terse smile and said, "Ah yes, it has been a while. I presume that your Knights will be coming with us then?"

The King smiled at the man who took his father's body and said, "Yes, of course. Also, there will be a new servant that I got. He will stay in the back with Sirs Lancelot and Gwaine, who will be teaching him the finer details of his position as servant to the King." Cenred nodded once to him and went off to get changed into hunting gear. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and sauntered his way down to the courtyard where Merlin and the knights should already be waiting with the horses.

When he made it to them, they were in fact ready to go, standing next to their respective horses, Merlin hidden behind Lance and Gwaine. The King glanced to the former slave and saw that he was lovingly caressing his horse's mane, smiling at it and whispering to her. Arthur was surprised at the boy's aptitude with horses, assuming that he had never ridden one before. It actually seemed to go beyond aptitude, with all of the horses gravitating toward the raven haired man, some going so far as to butt their heads against his shoulders or sides.

Before Arthur could ask about it, Cenred came down the courtyard stairs in all of Uther's finery. He could see all of his knights grip their swords and form a protective barrier around Merlin and he waved slightly for them to be less obvious. Cenred, however, was as clueless as he had been from the beginning of the day.

Once all were seated on their horses (with Arthur once again marveling at Merlin's horsemanship skills), they set off, pounding through the gates and into the forest. They traveled for a few kilometers until Arthur found the clearing he had been looking for. He called out, "Let's stop here for a quick lunch and then we can begin again."

Everyone nodded to him diligently and stopped their horses. Merlin gathered all of the reins and tied them to a lead rope. They had agreed last night that he would water the horses at a nearby creek during this part of the plan. Uther sat down on a blanket that Percival had spread out and waited for his lunch to be handed to him. It never came.

The Knights of the Round Table circle Cenred and aimed their swords at him, with Arthur standing directly in front of him. Cenred looked up and snarled, "What is the meaning of this, Arthur?"

"Don't play games with me!" Arthur shouted, "We know what happened!"

Cenred raised his eyebrows and asked smugly, "Oh? And what happened during whatever you're talking about?"

Arthur snarled down at the man and said, "We know that when my father went missing a month ago, you kidnapped him and tortured him for information. We know that when you couldn't get the information you wanted, you had Morgause turn you into my father. We know who you are, Cenred!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. My updates are going to be getting a little slower. I have a TON more homework and need for studying this year than last year, so I'll update less. We had an early release day today, so I'm trying to get as many out as possible. Read, review, and enjoy!**

**PS: Guys! The neck cuff is coming off pretty soon this chapter! Yay!**

GGGGGG

_Arthur snarled down at the man and said, "We know that when my father went missing a month ago, you kidnapped him and tortured him for information. We know that when you couldn't get the information you wanted, you had Morgause turn you into my father. We know who you are, Cenred!"_

Cenred snarled back at the blonde king, furious, "How dare you accuse me of being that vile man?! How could my only son think of me this way even after Morgana betrayed me?" His voice got softer towards the end and Gwaine could see Arthur started to waver.

Gwaine picked up the courage and said with confidence he didn't have, "We have no problem running you through since all you are is a sniveling, pathetic, waste of king trying to take over a country so much bigger and better than yours and hiding behind your disguises and your sorceresses. Give King Arthur the respect and information he deserves and we might let you live. If not, we'll kill you. Simple as that."

The look Arthur threw him was not quite gratitude, but not quite annoyance either. Gwaine just grinned in response. Below them, Cenred's shoulders sagged and he slumped further to the ground. The Percival and Leon reached down and chained his arms and legs together so he couldn't run. Lancelot went to go get Merlin from the creek. Arthur turned to the despondent figure on the ground and said, his voice thick with loathing, "When my manservant gets back-," Gwaine wondered briefly when that had become Merlin's station in life and Arthur continued, "-you will free him from his chain and then lead us to where you are keeping my father. Is that understood?" Cenred frowned in confusion, but still nodded dumbly.

Soon after that, Lancelot returned with the former slave and the horses in tow. Gwaine watched as Cenred's eyes widened in recognition and began to sparkle with a malignant light. Arthur was watching Merlin, so Gwaine caught his eyes and nodded imperceptibly at the newly acquired prisoner. The King frowned at the man and looked back to Merlin, suddenly concerned. The rogue knight realized that they hadn't thought about what this could mean for the raven haired warlock.

When Merlin was within hearing distance, Cenred called out, "Look who it is. That selfsame whelp who tried to escape me all those years ago. It seems as if you found yourself a new family." Merlin glared at him while the knights watched the two in confusion. Cenred continued, "Evidently you don't remember what I said. I distinctly remember saying, 'You are a slave. You are a nobody. No one is safe around you. Never make friends because they will always fall with you. Never fall in love and never call someone your family. You will only be backstabbed or you will only watch them die.' Don't you remember that?" Cenred grinned and even Gwaine felt disconcerted seeing _that_ evil of a smile on Uther's face.

Merlin clenched his jaw and glared at the foreign king with all the hate in the world and then some, but stayed silent. Arthur and the knights were staring between the two in horror. No one should ever have to hear that in their lives or think that. Gwaine looked to Lancelot and saw that the noble knight was just looking sad. He guessed that the former slave had already told the knight about this. It seemed as if they were the best of friends already.

Gwaine was brought back to the present when Arthur growled at the imprisoned king, "Tell me how to remove his neck cuff. Now."

Cenred just sneered back at Arthur until the King unsheathed his sword and started to swing it down on Cenred. The pathetic king yelped, "Stop! Stop, please. I'll do it. I'll tell you!" Arthur stopped his downward stroke and Cenred nervously stuttered out, "I have to say a spell to get it off. I'm going to say it right now. Freóriht þes mann fram sé bend þæs lráp andfangol drýcræft." The King of Camelot and the High Seas leaned slightly away from Cenred as he spoke the magic words, but Gwaine couldn't concentrate on that as Merlin gasped.

He turned to the raven haired man and watched as the former slave's eyes glowed gold. They were the purest gold that Gwaine had ever seen in a magic user's eyes before. Merlin's head snapped back and a sort of golden mist congregated around him. Finally, Gwaine heard the _chink_ of the cuff snapping open and grinned in satisfaction as the cuff fell to the ground. That's when things got bad.

Merlin, his voice strained, called out, "Get down!" Gwaine didn't know why, but he did it immediately, without thought. For some reason, he trusted Merlin and that scared him. He didn't trust anyone. Ever.

Nevertheless, he was on the flat on the ground with everyone except Cenred (who decided to ignore Merlin) and Arthur (who was looking around him with his hand on the hilt of his sword). Merlin gasped again and closed his eyes for a second before he blew them open and threw his hands out. Gwaine watched in a mixture of horror and satisfaction as magic flew from every corner of the field, slamming into Merlin and smashing into Cenred, knocking him, unconscious, into the ground. For some reason (Gwaine seemed to be thinking that phrase a lot; Merlin just seemed to spread confusion and unanswered questions wherever he went), the magic went right through Arthur, not moving him in the slightest.

The magic continued to fly through the air towards Merlin and Arthur finally hit the deck like everyone else and then Lancelot asked quietly, "What's that?"

Gwaine started to listen as well and heard the strangest thing. It was coming from every rock, every tree, plant, cloud, blade of grass, every animal, even the very air and earth themselves. Surrounding them, wrapping around them, and slithering across the ground towards them were the whispered words, "_Rejoice for Emrys is free. Emrys. Rejoice for Emrys is free. Emrys. Rejoice for Emrys is free._" The shaggy haired knight turned his gaze to Merlin, realizing suddenly who he was.

The drunkard had heard of Emrys before and had heard of the prophecies. He saw Mordred out of the corner of his eye and understood that the young druid knew as well. On the other side, Gwaine saw Lancelot giving Merlin, who was still surrounded by magic, a sad smile and surmised that the noble knight knew. Well, that made three people who, in a matter of weeks, had become completely loyal to this young slave and knew of his true identity. And Gwaine knew, with every fiber of his being that they would protect Merlin with their lives.

Finally, the light show finished and Merlin fell to his knees, bracing himself against the ground. Cenred was still unconscious in the grass and the King and his knights were slowly standing up. Merlin started shaking and Sir Leon moved forward to help him, but then they heard the strangest thing. It was a laugh. From Merlin. It was loud and clear and rich all at the same time and they all froze. Arthur called out hesitantly, "Merlin? Why are you laughing?"

Merlin turned to face them and grinned wildly, his laughter still tingeing his voice, "I haven't felt this amazing in a long time! It's almost like I'm five again and still home with my mother, learning how to control my powers. I love the feeling of it rushing through my veins and pooling in my heart. I love how it coats and infuses in my soul and frees me from the world. After that cuff, I feel like I can finally breathe again. There isn't a constant underlying of pain from my very soul as its being ripped apart. I feel whole and happy and free. Even my earlier injuries are healing themselves, knitting together at a much faster rate. You all defeated Cenred and have called me your friend and given me at least some freedom. What's not to laugh about?"

Even Arthur couldn't say anything against that despite his hatred of magic. Every (conscious) person in the field felt immensely happy just because Merlin was that happy.

Soon after, the group had packed up the little bit that they had gotten out of their saddlebags to lure Cenred into a vulnerable position. They mounted their horses and chained Cenred to his, splashing cold water onto his face to wake him up.

After two more days of riding, the group finally reached a cave. Cenred had long since changed back into his true form, shedding the skin of Uther and looking like his actual pitiful self. Merlin had walked tall the entire time and almost never stopped smiling. Animals seemed to come out of the woods just to see him. Only Merlin, Mordred, Lance, and Gwaine noticed the slight bows the animals would give to Emrys.

The group tied their horses to some trees a little farther off of the cave and dragged Cenred back to it as leverage with whomever resided in there. Seeing no one, the Kings, Knights, and warlock walking into the clearing in front of the cave. Almost immediately, someone walked out of the cave. She stopped short in front of it, her ebony hair swinging behind her. Her cold emerald eyes opened wide and for a second, no one said anything until Arthur bit out, "Morgana."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: So… it's been a really long time since I've updated this and, well, it wasn't that I was too busy; I just lost my muse for Merlin. All of my Merlin stories fell to the wayside (actually, for a good bit of time, **_**all**_** of my stories fell to the wayside), but then once I got a little bit of inspiration back, it wasn't for this fandom. But I'm trying to come back! I promised myself that I would never abandon a story, so here we go! Read, review, and enjoy!**

AAAAAA

_The group tied their horses to some trees a little farther off of the cave and dragged Cenred back to it as leverage with whomever resided in there. Seeing no one, the Kings, Knights, and warlock walking into the clearing in front of the cave. Almost immediately, someone walked out of the cave. She stopped short in front of it, her ebony hair swinging behind her. Her cold emerald eyes opened wide and for a second, no one said anything until Arthur bit out, "Morgana."_

Arthur didn't know how to deal with the conflicting emotions barreling through his mind. He'd known that there was a good chance of running into his half-sister, but knowing and experiencing were two tragically different things. She looked just like she always did. Maybe her hair was a little more knotted than usual and maybe her clothes had a hint more mud on the hems, but it was Morgana, the girl he grew up with. At least, it looked like Morgana until he looked up farther and saw her eyes. And those eyes weren't Morgana's. It was like staring into the insanity found in Morgause or the cruelty found in Cenred. Arthur couldn't help but think that maybe Morgana got the worst of both of the people she'd been staying with. He tried not to think about that further.

Finally finding his voice, Arthur ground out, "Give us Uther back, Morgana."

"Or what, _brother dearest_? You'll kill me? You don't have it in you." She sneered, voice silky with poisoned sweetness.

Arthur stood taller in response to that, voice firm, "I, King Arthur Pendragon, will proceed with any action necessary to obtain Lord Uther Pendragon, advisor to the throne, from the hands of the enemy. I have authorized lethal action in this situation. The aim is to bring you and Morgause in to face justice for your crimes against the royal household, but I will settle with your deaths."

Morgana's laugh was like breaking glass, "For _my_ crimes against the royal household? For _mine_? What about _his_? What about your precious _Uther's_ crimes against the royal household? I was a member of the royal household! The laws against magic _he_ keeps in the kingdom condemned me to _death_! I didn't _choose_ magic! I didn't choose it and still I was _condemned_! Is that not a crime against me? Do you find that to be _fair_, Arthur?"

The pirate King grimaced to hide his sadness. Morgana had been wronged at the hands of their father. That didn't give her an excuse to do this. Arthur said as much, "You should have taken it up legally, then. Kidnapping a Lord of the court? All that does is show the kingdom that magic is evil. If you wanted to get rid of the laws and make everything better for magic users, then you should have done it legally, gathered support, and shown the world what good magic can do."

"Since when are you so open to the idea of magic?" Her voice was suspicious, but her eyes had lost some of their sharpness. Arthur considered that a win.

Before he could answer, though, Morgause was speaking from behind them, "He met a magic user, Morgana. He actually took the time to have a conversation with a magic user and realized that we aren't any different from the rest of us."

Arthur spun around, keeping just enough of his wits around him to make sure that Morgana was still in his line of sight – not that he should have worried – she was far more concerned with Morgause's actions. Arthur was too. Morgause had one hand wrapped threateningly around Merlin's neck, pressing against the angry red marks the neck cuff had left. Her other hand was holding a knife to Lancelot's throat. It was obvious that neither man could act without threatening the other. Morgana's voice was small (smaller than he'd heard in a long time and Arthur hated Morgause for making her sound that way) when she asked, "Morgause? What are you doing? What do you mean when you said he had a conversation with a magic user?"

"She means me." Merlin said, eyes bright with determination (but also fear… so much fear). Merlin kept going, ignoring the threatening tightening of the hand around his throat, "Arthur rescued me from forced servitude. He even got the neck cuff I wore off. The neck cuff I had stopped me from using my magic. Morgause and Cenred were the ones who put it on me."

"Silence!" Morgause hissed, tightening her fist enough that any further words from Merlin were cut off. Morgause glanced up to her half-sister, "Don't mind this man's words, sister. He's nothing. Do not let him ruin our plans."

"He's a magic user, though." Morgana said, her brows furrowing together in that way that Arthur had always made fun of her for. Morgana's voice got stronger as she went, "You said that all magic users are our kin and that it is our job to protect them and help lead them in a revolt against the tyranny we face." Merlin was scrabbling at his throat and Arthur wanted to do nothing but go to him and help him. He knew he couldn't though; any move from him would only be detrimental to his men.

Morgause's eyes showed a little of that insanity that Arthur always associated with the blond, "And _most _magic users are our kin and our responsibility, sister. _This_ one isn't."

Morgana's eyes blew open wide and her mouth parted into a small 'o' of surprise, "_That's_ him? He doesn't look like much." Her eyes darkened and a strange sort of hatred rolled through them. Arthur inwardly despaired. For a moment, he'd thought that there was a chance that the old Morgana was just looked in her somewhere, but it didn't seem like that was the case. It seemed like she was just as evil as the people she chose to surround herself with. Morgana took a few steps closer, fascination mixing with the hatred in her eyes. The knights were sat frozen, not sure what action they should take. Suddenly, Morgana whipped around and threw her hand out.

Arthur's world tipped and the breath was easily knocked out of him. He coughed from where he'd been thrown, several feet away. Morgana cackled above him, "Did you really think you could defeat us? We're powerful sorceresses! And you came with a group of _humans_! There was no way you were walking out of this alive!" She cackled again and Morgause grinned at her.

Before Arthur could even muster up the breath respond, he saw Merlin's eyes glow gold. For once, the usual wave of disgust that normally accompanied the sight of magic didn't affect him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He wasn't sure what the spell had been at first, until Morgause yelped and dropped the knife she was holding to Lance's neck. Even from Arthur's position on the ground several feet away, he could see the white-hot glow of the dagger and the curls of smoke from the grass it'd fallen into. Lancelot took the opportunity to start fighting Morgause immediately. Hindered as she was still holding onto Merlin's neck, she didn't get a chance to get her sword out to engage Lancelot. He managed to swipe his sword over her arm, cutting a deep gash that caused her to cry out before her eyes turned gold (and it wasn't anything like the pure gold Merlin's eyes turned; no, her eyes were red-tinged and… evil) and Lancelot was thrown back like the rest of them. The only one left standing was Merlin and it didn't seem like that was going to last for very long because Morgause was _mad_ and he was obviously running out of air.

Arthur's eyes were wide as he pushed himself into a sitting position, coughing as something in his chest _twinged_ at the movement. He saw the other knights attempting to do the same. Then Merlin whispered some words and Arthur's breath caught in his throat because Merlin was immediately engulfed in flames. At first, Arthur thought that Morgause had beat the former slave to a spell, but then he saw Morgause reel back, screaming. Her arm was on fire and it was quickly spreading. She screamed and fell, rolling, onto the ground. The fire disappeared from around Merlin, fading into a sort of halo behind him, giving him an air of unbelievable power and Arthur was suddenly very glad that he never had to face Merlin on a battle field.

Morgana's reaction was instantaneous. She didn't even bother with a spell, just thrusting her arm out and sending a shock wave at Merlin. Merlin's eyes flooded with that gold and he waved a hand in front of him. A golden shield planted itself in the ground in front of him just before the shock wave hit, pushing Merlin back a foot or so, but not negatively impacting him in any way. Before Morgana could cast another spell, Merlin yelled, "Enough!" The word held power like Arthur had never seen before and the very earth _shook _in agreement.

Morgana, surprisingly, listened, stopping what she was doing and calming her breath, panting and watching Merlin with wild eyes. Merlin's voice was significantly softer when he said, "There is no need for us to fight, Morgana."

"Yes there is." Morgana hissed, "I've heard of you. I've heard what the prophecies say of us! They say I will be your darkness and you my doom. I will not allow some prophecies to dictate my life! I will not allow you do defeat me!"

Merlin's head tilted to the side, eyes still golden, but curious now, "How will I defeat you if we don't fight? Listen, Morgana, I'm trying to achieve the same thing you are. If the prophecies truly do say that about you and you wish to defy them, then I think the solution is rather easy. Do not turn to darkness. Don't let evil," here he gestured to the burnt husk of Morgause, "corrupt you." His smile was pure and genuine and Arthur realized belatedly what it was that Merlin was promising Morgana with those words. Merlin was basically saying that if Morgana came back to them, Arthur wouldn't execute her for her crimes. What a sneaky way to start to change the laws against magic. Merlin caught Arthur's eye out of the corner of his own and flinched away.

Merlin's smile fell and he stepped back a little bit, curling into himself and bowing his head. Moments like this made it painfully easy to remember that the boy had been a slave for a good portion of his life. Arthur could see the shock in Morgana's eyes at the change in Merlin's behavior and figured that he should start explaining things, "Morgana." He almost flinched at the full force of those powerful (still golden) eyes, but instead kept going, "He wasn't lying when he said that Morgause put that neck cuff on him. She killed his family too and kept him as a slave for a while. He wasn't freed from slavery all that long ago. We're still trying to get him used to being free, but it's hard for him. Especially since he knows that it's illegal to have magic. He knows that I hate magic, but he told us that he had it and he trusted us with that information and now he's saved our lives with it. Do you really think I would condemn someone who saved me? Do you think I would condemn someone who was born with magic? Like you were."

Morgana's eyes were confused, but slowly getting back to the amazing woman he'd known before this whole mess, "You did condemn me. You condemned me for my magic."

Arthur's throat closed up with shame about what she was saying, but he forced his words through the lump, "I condemned you for practicing magic. I didn't understand that people _could_ be born with magic before Merlin showed me that it was true. Please, give us – no, give _me_ another chance."

The ice in her eyes was gone now, but her voice was still trembling with some emotion, "Uther won't give me another chance. He won't allow me to return. He won't allow you to change the laws against magic."

Although it hurt to say (because this was his father and he loved his father and had always lived to be just like his father), Arthur said firmly, "Then it's a good thing he's not King, isn't it?"

For a moment, the two half-siblings just stared at each other, each trying to read the other and finding only good things. Morgana took a deep breath, in through her mouth and out through her nose before, "Alright." Arthur stared at her in shock. She couldn't have actually said what he thought she said, right? Morgana looked him in the eyes again and said firmly, "I'll do it. I'll come back and I'll join the side of good. If not, I have Emrys to put me back on my rightful path again."

Arthur didn't know what she meant by Emrys and he wasn't sure he liked that soft little glance his sister and his newly appointed manservant shared, but for the moment it didn't matter. His father was in that cave and he was alive and Morgana was joining them and he was finally going to be stepping up and taking care of everyone in his kingdom – not just the ones who were forced to hate magic. Everything was finally starting to come together.

**Author's Note: Alright, one more chapter after this! Honestly, this whole story doesn't have a very good plot or a very good writing style, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. You should be getting the epilogue pretty soon (or in a couple months… with me, who knows?).**


	9. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Here's the epilogue! I hope you enjoy and I'm sorry for the abrupt ending! Read, review, and enjoy!**

MMMMMM

Merlin shuffled a little bit in his bed, blinking wearily. Sunlight filtered down onto his face. He scrunched his nose up and turned to his other side, intending to get some more sleep without the sun shining straight onto his face. All thoughts of sleep left his mind, however, when he saw the way the sunlight reflected off the pale face of the woman sleeping next to him. He tangled his fingers into Morgana's hair gently, trying not to wake her. She looked so beautiful when she was sleeping. Not that she didn't look beautiful wherever she went. Her onyx hair and diamond skin and ruby red lips and emerald eyes. She was a collection jewels. She was _his_ jewel.

After coming back from the cave that day, the kingdom was turned upside. Uther woke when they were in the courtyard. He and Arthur had screamed at each other for the entire castle to see (and see they did) before Arthur had unsheathed his sword and held it's point to his father's neck, saying in his most powerful voice, "I am your King! You will not defy me!" And that successfully stopped Uther from trying to keep magic from being returned to the land.

There were a few nobles who protested (violently) against bringing magic back to the land, claiming that Merlin had enchanted him. Arthur had shown them the burnt body of Morgause and gestured to Merlin without saying a single word. That had put a good amount of fear into them, but, more importantly, a good amount of respect into them. Morgause was a feared sorceress who had killed a lot of their friends and family. In a kingdom built on pillaging the seas and trying to be the most fearsome, Merlin felling their common enemy did a lot to his status in kingdom.

He was, at least, treated better than Morgana. People jeered at her and threw things at her in the hallways. Her father refused to ever speak to her again, but she didn't seem to mind that at all. It, luckily, hadn't taken long for Gwen to rekindle her old friendship with the sorceress (since apparently that was a thing; Merlin was still trying to learn everyone's name, let alone their histories) which made Morgana happier, but it was still obvious that the former royal wasn't as happy as she should be. For destiny to truly be averted, Morgana needed to love it there. So Merlin grabbed her in front of the entire court and kissed her.

The entire kingdom talked about the scandal of that action for _months_, but Morgana had kissed back so Merlin didn't really mind. Merlin was granted the position of Court Sorcerer (despite protesting that he wasn't a sorcerer) after Mordred finally told Arthur about the prophecies regarding the two of them.

In the time since then, Merlin and Morgana had married and Arthur had pillaged and raided and conquered all the nations surrounding his own and formed the Albion that legends would talk of for years to come. Magic was found in every city and people started to finally heal from the horrors of the Great Purge. Slavery was outlawed in every land that Arthur conquered and more and more people came out of the woodworks with unbelievable skills, finally freed from their bondage to oppressive masters.

Merlin laid back into his bed, smiling at everything.

Albion had _finally_ been set free.

**Author's Note: And there we go! This horror has been completed. Let me know what you think I could have done better! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
